OCDSB reviewing online learning plan following provincial directive

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) says it's revisiting its online learning plan following a new directive and additional money announced by the province.

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced $18 million to hire principals and support staff to administer online education provincewide this fall.

The province also issued a directive that boards will be required to provide all students enrolled in remote learning programs with three hours and 45 minutes of access to real-time instruction, known as synchronous learning, during each five-hour school day. 

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OCDSB chair Lynn Scott said once the board learns more details of those requirements, it will determine what changes, if any, it must make to its remote learning plan.

For example, according to the board's back-to-school plan released Monday, students who opt for full-time remote learning will do so primarily through their own school, but Scott said that could change.

"If the expectation is for us to organize sort of online schools as opposed to leaving our remote learners attached to our existing schools, then yes, we need principals to oversee the operation of the online schools," Scott said.

Deadline drawing near

Parents have until Sunday to decide whether their kids will attend school or learn online only.

OCDSB trustee Mark Fisher said he welcomes the additional clarity on the online learning plan, and believes parents will, too.

"If there's more information or more detail about scheduling or what the remote program looks like, we need to get that into parents' hands ASAP because that's what they're going to use to make decisions," Fisher said.

"If we can't do that, then I think we need to look at pushing that [enrolment] date again."

Fisher said the OCDSB is already dipping into its reserves to the tune of $17 million, so the new funding doesn't offer much breathing room.

"At the end of the day it's still not enough money in my view to be doing what we need to do to make sure that we're ready, but it's better than nothing," Fisher said.

Ventilation improvements

Lecce also announced $50 million in one-time funding to improve physical distancing measures and ventilation in the province's aging schools.

Scott said OCDSB staff have identified some ventilation projects that could be done in the three weeks before classes resume.

"The idea of procurement of some of the more efficient filters for our HVAC system, that is all good news, and we know what we need and we're ready to spend additional funds if we have them," she said.

Mike Carson, the board's chief financial officer and superintendent of facilities, told trustees Thursday night the province hasn't provided details on how the $50 million for will be disbursed, but he predicts the OCDSB will get between $1.5 and 2 million based on student population. 

"We want to see what the rules are. It depends on the nature of what we want to repair and what we want to improve," he said.

The board's next budget meeting is scheduled for Aug. 18.